When you see that I have posted at the bottom of all the 13 lines a post saying "TIMES UP" send an email to me stating your Hatrack name, and which ONE of the 13 lines intros you felt hooked you most.

I will note your vote, and send back to you the complete version of All the stories. You will have until 12.OO GMT the following Sunday (23rd) to read ALL the stories and provide comments on at least the top 3. Any votes received without comments will be returned with message "Read the guidelines about how to vote -- your vote has not been counted until you complete it as requested".

You will then send me back a MSword file (preferably, other wise paste into email body) as follows:

YOUR HATRACK NAME!

My votes:

1st Place ~ Title: Your Great Story ~ Story Number: 28

Comments:

2nd Place ~ Title: Title here ~ Story Number: 00

Comments:

3rd Place ~ Title: Title here ~ Story Number: 00

Comments:

I apologize about being so pedantic about it, but this has been a lot of organizing and it will save me loads of time doing like this. I have to copy and paste these bits into emails to send back to authors so they can see what score they got and what the comments were...so I need the details as specified.

If you don't do it this way, I will send it back to you a simple "Read the guidelines about how to vote -- your vote has not been counted until you complete it as requested." YOU MAY NOT VOTE FOR YOURSELF.

I will send out the comments that I received back to those who were given a ranking score by someone.

When all is finished I will post winners as follows:

Best intro: 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
Best story: 1st, 2nd, 3rd.

Best intro will be judged on who simply got the highest votes.(One vote to be cast by each entrant.)

Best story will be judged on who got the most points. (1st place= 3 points, 2nd place = 2 points etc.)

If any one requests the excel spreadsheet with all the scores on I will send it.

After the results please forward your remaining crits to the authors. You are expected to comment on each story.

GOOD LUCK--There are loads of great stories here, I know!

Remember, (cliche alert!) you're all winners really.

[This message has been edited by skadder (edited December 17, 2007).]

[This message has been edited by skadder (edited December 17, 2007).]

quote:

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I apologize about being so pedantic about it, but this has been a lot of organizing and it will save me loads of time doing like this.

---

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Adam for all of his effort in this endeavor. I believe that he has done tons of work behind the scenes that we haven't seen, and I would like to appluad his dedication to us and to this community.

(THE THUNDERING APPLAUSE IS HEARD, EVEN UNTO THE SIXTH PLANET...)

Cheers, good sir.

And don't worry, I will happily volunteer to organize the next round, which I think would be great to kick off sooner than later. I think this has been lots of fun, and as long as it's flash (<1,000 words), I think it provides the opportunity to get lots of quality feedback.

Happy Holidays to all...

Is that a UK print mag?

It's not pro-rates, but then...it wasn't the best story either.

The offered $20 or a copy of the mag and $10, I am taking the check (gonna frame it!) and the mag.

You only have to comment (not line crit) your top 3. I am surprised I have only had 3 lots of votes back at this stage.

As I have said, I replied to your email so it would have gone to the address you used to send it from.

The doc. with the stories is an attachment, the stories aren't pasted in the body of the email.

Please confirm you received it.

Do you think you can tell someone's gender from the writing? A while back, there was a NYT article purporting that one could, according to an algorithm.

There's an on-line version of the algorithm here: The Gender Genie. Oddly enough, if I were writing about a woman, it would usually guess I was female. If I were writing about a male, it would usually guess I was a male writer. If I were writing in the first person (blog post or fiction) it would guess I was male. Go figure.

I'd like to mention that I will be away for Christmas week and anticipate difficulties getting an internet connection. I'll get crits out for the other stories as and when I can find a connection.

Sorry I got a whole bunch of votes at the same time, I had to stick them on the spreadsheet an attribute to the correct author, then cut and past the crits onto your return emails, then file you emails so I didn't accidentally do anything twice (and could record who had actually voted). I did forget to respond, sorry.

We have two people who have not yet voted...

Halogen

and...........Jaycloomis (I think The League of Extraordinary Gingerbread Men have hunted him down because of his story). I have emailed both to remind them.

If anyone hasn't voted by 12.00 GMT on Sunday, tomorrow, those who voted for them will be asked to push up those below and cast a new 3rd place vote or best hook vote.
e.g.

1st)Peter
2nd)Paul (non-voter)
3rd)Lisa

Becomes:

1st) Peter
2nd) Lisa
3rd) Jeff

They will be given 24 hours to email me with the new vote or I will use their vote and vote for a story I liked, although I will ensure it doesn't upset the top 3 scores.

I anticpate internet connection probs these next couple of days so if you need to, please distribute my vote as you think fit.

Adam

sent! I'll create some more detailed crits and send them after the fact. Probably work on them on christmas

I am not optimistic...

Please check your emails as I have requested those that voted for Jaycloomis to send alternate votes. You can send these now--the quicker I receive them, the quicker I can publish the winner.

I WILL NOT BE EXTENDING THE VOTING PERIOD even if the last remaining voter votes after the allotted time, I will discount them. Otherwise it becomes pointless having deadlines.

If you have been asked to re-vote you will have 24 hours to do so. otherwise I will vote for you as specified above.

Jaycloomis...sorry, but you are out. You have had a week to vote, the deadline was published weeks ago.

Those who have been requested to vote again could they please do so, by this time tomorrow or (preferably) before, e.g. 12.00 GMT Monday 23/12/07.

There are four front runners--these last few votes may make the difference.

Adam

If anyone's concerned, we could increase the level of security a touch so that only people whom I designate -- not just anyone registered for the forum -- could see the stories we want to critique.

Thoughts?
Oliver

BTW I will announce the first four places, because by Jaycloomis not voting it has upset what was a closer race.

Jaycloomis: A Night On the Town: Number 8

If you voted for this guy go and make a hotmail account and send me a new 3rd place vote. Your other votes get bumped up.

If you voted for best hook for him please send another vote, I am sure you considered more than one at the time. Try not to consider how the story eventually turned out.

YOU HAVE THREE HOURS TO VOTE or I vote for you.

Adam

These are the authors and their stories:

Annepin—Death for a Song—3
Halogen—Burning Out Gasoline Alley—4
Vanderbleek—Contract -- 6
Talespinner –Sunrider – 7
Igwiz—Without a Legacy to Stand on – 9
Gobi13x –The Golden Squid – 10
Supraturtle – Oops – 11
InarticulateBabbler –Ladyfingers –12
NotimetoThink—The devil Makes A Firm Contract – 13
Oliverhouse—In Living Memory – 15

So in the end we had ten valid entries.

*drum roll*

The results for the Unofficial Hatrack Christmas Flash Fiction Competition are as follows:

Best Hook:

1st Equal Place:

Halogen—Burning Out Gasoline Alley—4 & Annepin—Death for a Song—3 & Igwiz—Without a Legacy to Stand on – 9 & Supraturtle – Oops – 11

Best Overall Story:

1st Place:

Annepin—Death for a Song—3

2nd Equal Place:

Talespinner –Sunrider – 7 & Supraturtle – Oops – 11

Honorable mention:

InarticulateBabbler –Ladyfingers –12

Congratulations to the winners.

Well done to all who competed. If you want a copy of the score spreadsheet—email me even if you already asked in a previous email—and I will send it.

Merry Christmas to All!!!

I've learned that one can find a story in even the craziest ideas; that Flash is a great format for developing story-telling skills because being so short, one really has to focus and squeeze the juice from each word; and Flash is a great way of getting the essence of a story down quickly even if subsequently it may grow into something longer.